Saturday night was Youth For Christ. It was sort of like church, but it wasn’t church.
There was always much better preaching. The men came in from all over the country and they were exciting to listen to. A few of them were such bad people with stories of redemption that it could only be God who redeemed them. However, it had an adverse affect on me. After the wire-taper, and the New York gangster I began thinking that my life was so boring and mundane that I would never be one God would or could use. What was I going to say? I lied to my parents and got made at times? Boring!
Less threatening but more annoying and controversial were the anti rock-n-roll speakers, and there were plenty. It was the devils music. The syncopated beat was going to shake us apart and destroy us morally. They never failed to bring arguments among the audience. There were both pro and anti groups. It was still the age of compliance so most of the complaints did not reach the Leadership. I have to admit I didn’t pay much attention. I listened when the music was on, but it was mostly background to me. I could sing along to some of the tunes when it was on, but couldn’t seem to remember without the beat. I tended to remember the pre-rock and roll tunes like were the Kingston Trio, Everly Brothers, Pat Bone and my all time favorite song Flying Purple People Eater, a real classic. Smile, I am.
What I did like was the inclusion of teens in the program. There were a number of kids doing special music, and they had an electric chair with a mild electric shock to it. They would bring some unsuspecting kid to the front and ask him questions and give him a shock if he was wrong. The crowd would laugh uproariously. So did I — on the outside. I was hurt and embarrassed for that person and lived in absolute fear of being called up front. I suspect I would have passed out had they called on me. I might be wrong around why the chair was used, but it was the fact that it gave off a shock that troubled me. I always wondered why they would intentionally embarrass a teen. I suppose some liked it, but I definitely wasn’t one of them.
The shock gag was my one objection to YFC. I thought it was cruel and not used for fun, but for embarrassment. I hated it. But who was I to object. I was just a pathetic little twerp who only answered yes or no to the questions of teachers and strangers. Oh, I would also say, “I don’t know.” I needed to know someone before a conversation would develop. I didn’t say much, but I felt much.
There was also Bible Quizzing. It was a strange little competition where teams say in chairs and jumped up as soon as they knew the answers. I thought it was amazing, and then I learned it was over an assigned passage. Somewhat easier, but not simple! When a junior I was begged to be on a quiz team because each team had to have at least one boy or girl. I joined, but did little more than sit on the bench. The girls of Central carried our team.
YFC improved my view of religion. I liked the clubs and Pete, our director, was a great guy. At this point in life I had little concern for other parts of the world. The biggest world I knew was right around me. Religion was getting better and I did want to know why so many kids seemed to love God. Didn’t they see what I saw? I hung on because of the believers around me.
Through Youth For Christ I met kids from around the city. On Saturday nights the YFC clubs fathered for a rally. The crowds weren’t exclusively teens, but mostly teens. It was typical of most religious gatherings of the time. There was some music, an offering, a special number and then the preaching. The alter call did nothing for my sense of Christian security. I was even more confused about who I was and especially what I was. It was on Saturday nights that I began making several decisions to follow Christ — almost weekly. Sometimes I went forward and when I didn’t do that, I prayed the “sinners prayer” in my seat. I wanted to cover myself with quality fire insurance just in case.
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